Automatic controlling device for pumping plants.



A.' F. GROIIIIIEIII'. y y AUTOMATIC CONTROLLING DEVICE FOPI PUIIIIPIIIIG PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED IULY29 I9I3- 1,252,343.

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Patente Jan. 1,1918'.-

MOTOR III III III "'I I IIIIIIIII:

ilIII l. III

sTATEs PATENT' oEEioE.

ALFRED E; GROHNEET, 0E BUELINGAME, CALIFORNIA, A ssreivon or ONE-HALE To ADELAR'D E. MARTEL, 0E EUELINGAME, GMJEOENIA.v v

ATOMATIC CONTEOLLING' DEVICE Eon PUMPING rLAivT's.k

To all whom z'tmag/ concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED F. GRQHNERT, residing in the city of Burlingame, county of San Mateo, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Controlling Devices for Pumping Plants, whereof the following is'a specification.

This` inventionA relates to an automatic controlling device for pumping plant.7

The principal object of this inventionris to provide means forshutting off the source of power froml thel pump,v when the pump ceases to elevate or discharge water or any other liquitlthatrit may bel handling.

Another object is to give visible and audible warning when theV pump ceases Ato dis-` charge. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of m'y invention progresses.

In the single sheet of drawingl accompanying this specification, I have illustrated my invention in what-I consider its bestform'.

In the drawings:

igure 1Y is a diagrammatic sidel elevation of a pump-governoror.power control con= nected therewith, and constructed in accordance with this invention. The control mechanism is in relatively exaggerated propor-v tion, better to disclose its important features.

Fig. Y2 is a fragmentary detailv sideeleva-V tion of a fuel pipe,l havingai cutoff valve therein arranged in operative relationwith the; control mechanism. i

In detail the'- constructionl consists' of thel pump of any desired form, preferably of centrifugal type having vthe suctionl inlet 2^ and1 thedischarge outlet 3. The; pumpy is" driven in this present case by anf electricA motor 4 diagrammati'cally indicated in Fig. 1, suc-h a motor and its mechanicall connec` tions being so well known that further de" scription of same is unnecessary.y

The disch arge pipe 3 is provided; with the' by-pass or bleeder- 5, discharging into the'4v re's'ervoir'. This' reservoir is provided withl a central upright column 7, preferably apipey screwed nto- -the-ttnga attac-hedv to the Specification of Letters Patent'. y ,Patented J al1. 1, 1918. Application led Ju1y29, 1913. Serial No. 781,813.

bottom of the reservoir. The liquid discharged into the reservoir flows out through theports 9, through the fitting 85 and the outlet .10, back into the well or elsewhere.- Thevalve 11 is provided for regulating the rate of discharge from the reservoir. The overflow pipe 12 determines the' maximum 55 level the liquid can attainl in the reservoir.

The float 13 has a central tube 14 extending therethrough, and upward, and is telescoped over the column V7, by which it isguided. The superstructure 15 extending 60 above and across the reservoir has a vcentral opening acting as a. guide for the tubel 14, inclosing the column 7.- I

Before starting the motoig vwhich drives the pump, there is obviously no liquid in' 65 the reservoir to support the float 13; it is'`= therefore elevated and the latch 16 thereon engaged with the hook 17 attached to" the'4r superstructure 15.

In Fig. 1 the primeniover l is an electric'v 70 motor, the leads 18 and 19 of which are connected with the knife-switch, comprising the usual double contact members 20, only one of which appears-in the drawing because" one isbehind the other. These contacts arev 75 mounted upon the insulz'iting` block 21', fixed tol the superstructure 15. The circuit is closed through the knife switch bythe bladey pivoted at 23 in a bracket fixed upon the insulating blockl. The-contact endQi of the blade passesbetween the contacts'QOL- The motor is started'v by' manually 'closing this-knife switch. n f

lVhenv the liquid dischargesfrom the pump through the pipe 3, a small quantity isby-A passed through pipe 5,l to the reservoir. caus ing the fioat 13A tov rise, automatically releasing the'latch', which leaves 'the float free"- to"descend as the' water loi'vfeis'in the reser'# voir.

The column 7 is']: r"ovide`d with tlieannu'lar" chamber 25 suspended therefrom. T he tube- 14 is provided with the annular semaphore* 526,4 adapted to disappearwithn the cham= ber 25 when the tloat'is up. The tube '14 i"s"95 provided with the trip127 fixedA thereon.l

This invention operates substantially as follows:

Presuming the pump to be operating properly, with the proper water level in the reservoir and the tloat 13 supported by its own buoyancy, so long as the pump continues to discharge, the control mechanism will remain normally inactive, the same quantity flowing into the reservoir being discharged through the bottom thereof. Just as soon as the pump fails to discharge the full .amount of liquid the liquid in the reservoir will drain out through the pipe 10 lowering the trip 27, until it forces down the pivoted blade QQ., pulling the end 24 out of engagement with the contacts 2O opening the circuit and stopping the motor.

The descent of the trip 2T also closes the alarm circuit comprising the contacts 28 and 29 mounted upon the insulated block 30, fixed to the superstructure. ri`hese contacts control the circuit flowing from theA battery 31, through the vibrating bell 32. and through the contacts, back to the battery. The bell 32 may be located at any desir: ble distance from the controlling mechanism and may be duplicated as desired. `VThe descent ot the float, also exposes the semaphore 2G to view beneath the chamber 25. vrI`he semaphore is preferably painted in some (.listinguishing manner to attract observation. The location ot' the apparatus can be designated by a flag on the statt' 33.V

If a steam engine. internal combustion motor, or other t'orm of prime mover is substituted for the motor the valve mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 will be substituted for the knife switch mechanism. The fuel pipe 3T' is provided with the valve 35, having the control lever 3G arranged in operative relation with and adapted to bedepressed by the trip 2? to sluit ott the source of energy to the prime mover.

Having thus described my invention, and believing I have produced useful and novel improvements in the art to which it appertains, let it be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction and arrangement of the several parts composing the same. as many changes can be made without departing from the spirit thereof,

-but what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters 'Patent is:

.1. In combination with a pump and an electric motor to operate the salne. a switch for said electric motor, a controlling device -for said switch comprisingr a'tank provided with a central column. a iioat in said tank provided with a Y central tube' slidably mounted-on said column and a trip on said tube adapted to automatically open said switch and thereby stop the motor.

' 2. In combination with a .pump provided with a motor to operate the same and a signaling device, a combined controlling mechanism t'or said motor and signaling device consisting ot a tank connected-to said pump and provided with a central column, a switch on said tank for said motor and a second switch also on said tank tor said signaling device, a cylindrical float in said tank provided with a central tube slidably mounted on said column and atrip on said tube adapted to open simultaneously said motor switch and close said signaling switch. y

3. In combination with a pump, a motor and a signaling device, a controlling mechanism for said motor and signaling device, comprising a tank connected to said pump and provided with a superstructure, a vertically operating cylindrical iioat in said tank provided with a central tube passing through said superstructure and guided thereby. a pair ot' switches independently mounted on said superstructure and connected respectively to the motor and signaling device and means on said tube to operate said switches. i

4. In an apparatus of the character described. a pump provided with a motor for operating the same, a controlling device for said motor consisting of a tank connected to said pump, a switch mounted on said tank and connected to said motor. a cylindrical tioat in said tank providedV with a central tube, a flange on said tube adapted to open said switch and thereby stop said motor.

5. In combination with a pump and its operating motor, a controlling device for said motor comprising a tank connected to said pump and provided with a superstructure, a float in said tank provided with means adapted to engage said controlling device, a holding device t'or said float consisting of a hook secured to said superstructure and a latch about said tloat engaging said hook to thereby hold said fioat in nonoperativev position and means for automatically disengaging said float.

G. An apparatus of the 'character described comprising a centrifugal pump provided with a discharge pipe and an electric motor for operating` said pump, a by-pass connected to. said discharge pipe, a controlling mechanism for said motor consisting ot'V a water receiving tank connected to said by-pass, a fioat in said tankl, a semaphore connected to said float and means for operating said semaphore.

7. An apparatus ot' the character described comprising a centrifugal pump'proof a water receiving tank connected to said I have hereto set my hand in the presence by-pass and means 1n said tank to regulate of Witnesses, this twenty-rst dayof July, the rate of discharge therefrom and the 1913.

maximum level of water therein, a float in ALFRED F. GROHNERT. 5 said tank, a semaphore connected to said Witnesses: oat and operated thereby. R. M. WOLFE,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing JOSEPH RosENTHAL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

